Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has hit out at President William Ruto over his shoot-to-the-leg order to police officers.
Through a statement released on Friday, July 11, Raila stated that any orders or instructions to the police to shoot to kill, maim, disorient, or shock citizens were wrong.
Instead, the former PM, who is part of the broad-based government with Ruto, called for the upholding of the rule of law and not the use of excessive force.
“In a protest or any other environment that requires law enforcement, all the above orders- shoot to kill, maim, disorient, or shock citizens- are wrong,” Raila stated.
“As a country, we must at all times opt for the Rule of Law and due process and reject the temptation to give police illegitimate and deadly powers over citizens, even when the citizens are perceived to have broken the law,” he added.
On Wednesday, July 9, Ruto issued explicit orders to the police, giving them leeway to use force and shoot individuals involved in violent demonstrations in the leg.
“Anyone deciding to storm a person’s business or a police station should be shot in the leg. Thereafter, they can go to court and see what follows next,” Ruto said while addressing officers during the launch of the Police Housing Project at Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi.
Ruto, visibly agitated, expressed his disdain with unnamed individuals he accused of sponsoring goons, chaos, and protests seen in the country in recent weeks, noting that the government would not tolerate efforts to destabilise the nation.
“I have been quiet, and I have tolerated these people who want to change the government using unconstitutional means, but enough is enough,” Ruto stated.
However, Raila took issue with Ruto’s stand, urging the government to prioritise addressing the issue of violent protesters through their arrests and arraignment in court. This, as per Raila, would preserve the dignity and respect the human rights of suspects, while at the same time confer credibility to the actions of the State.
“We are all better served as a country when we stick to the principle that everyone is innocent until proven guilty; a determination that can only be made by a competent court of law,” Raila noted.
He criticised the militarisation of police and called for the abolition of the orders altogether. “As a country, we should do everything to avoid the militarized approach to policing,” posited Raila. He argued that examples from around the continent show that such an approach only leads to the risk of increased violence.
The President’s remarks came amid growing national tension, as youth-led protests against government policies continue to spread across the country, with calls for accountability and reform intensifying.
The sentiments triggered massive debate, especially in the context of respect and promotion of human rights, which have been subjected to abuse in recent months. The death toll from the Saba Saba Day protests on Monday, July 7, had risen to 31, according to a new report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
